[Rethymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis and recurrent thymoma]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze efficacy and safety of rethymectomy in patients with pathology of thymus.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Nine patients (2 males and 7 females) underwent rethymectomy in the thoracic surgery department of the Hertzen Research Institute of Oncology for the period from March 2009 to December 2019. Initial thymectomy for myasthenia gravis was performed in 6 patients, for thymoma without myasthenia - in 3 patients. Age of patients varied from 27 to 75 years (median 42.8 years). Myasthenia manifested at the age of 25-61 years (median 29.2 years). Period between manifestation and thymectomy varied from 6 to 24 months (median 12.6 months). MGFA grade IIIa was in 1 patient, grade IIIb - in 1, grade IVa - in 1, grade IVb - in 2, grade V - in 1 patient. Rethymectomy was performed via sternotomy in 4 cases, through thoracoscopy - in 5 patients.

RESULTS

Postoperative complications occurred in 2 (22.2%) patients. Biopsy revealed residual thymic tissue in all patients. Median follow-up after rethymectomy was 30.2 months (range 12-132 months). Complete stable remission was achieved in 3 (50.0%) patients, remission - in 2 cases, partial remission - in 1 patient. Median dose of steroids before rethymectomy was 40 mg (range 16-96 mg), median dose after rethymectomy - 8 mg (range 0-24 mg). Differences were significant (p=0.04). All patients operated on for thymoma or recurrence are alive within 12-124 months after rethymectomy.

CONCLUSION

Rethymectomy is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with refractory myasthenia gravis (especially in case of detected residual thymic tissue) or recurrent thymoma. Radical surgery for recurrent thymoma ensures favorable survival.

[Solitary fibrous tumor of pleura (symptoms, diagnosis, treatment)]

OBJECTIVE

Optimization of diagnosis and treatment of patients with solitary fibrous tumor of pleura, analysis of overall survival and disease-free survival, predictors of recurrence.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

There were 66 patients with solitary fibrous tumor of pleura (26 men and 40 women) aged 57.6 years (range 26-80 years). Asymptomatic course was found in 29 (44%) patients, various symptoms - in 37 (56%) patients. Thoracotomy was applied in 36 patients, thoracoscopy - in 30 patients. Immunohistochemical examination included analysis of definition of Stat6 expression.

RESULTS

Benign variant of SFT was diagnosed in 50 (75.7%) patients, malignant variant - in 16 (24.3%) patients. STAT6 expression was observed in all cases. Postoperative morbidity was 9%, mortality - 1.6%. Recurrence was diagnosed in 2 (4%) patients with benign variant of disease and in 5 (31.2%) patients with malignant variant (2 of them died from progression of disease). Progression-free survival was 89.4%, overall survival - 95.4%. Predictors of recurrence are tumor dimension over 10 cm, necrosis and/or hemorrhagic component of tumor, mitotic count of at least four per 10 high-power fields.

CONCLUSION. S

Olitary fibrous tumor of pleura is a rare mesenchymal fibroblastic neoplasm growing from submesothelial layer. Differential and preoperative morphological diagnosis of SFT is difficult and demands a special immunohistochemical examination with analysis of Stat 6 expression. Surgery is preferred for tumor de novo and recurrent neoplasm.